The $25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) will begin construction in 2024, Nigeria's energy minister, Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said.

Ekpo revealed the planned construction schedule on November 27, following a visit of a Moroccan delegation to Abuja, led by Ambassador Moha Ou Ali Tagm.

The pipeline, which will span 5,600 kilometres and pass through 13 African countries serving nearly 500mn people, is set to be the second-longest pipeline in the world, after the West-East Gas Pipeline in China.

The NMGP aims to transport gas from Nigeria to West African nations and potentially extend its reach into Europe. As well as providing gas to the African continent, Nigeria could potentially earn significant revenues selling gas to Europe.

Construction would be broken down into phases: the first would take three years, while the other stages would take five years.

If all goes to plan, the pipeline will begin at Brass Island in Nigeria, and head up to northern Morocco, where it could connect to the existing Maghreb European Pipeline that passes from Algeria to Spain. 

According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL), the pipeline has the ability to generate wealth, improve living standards, enhance regional economic integration, and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Morocco and Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on September 15 last year for the gas pipeline project, but the pipeline deal was initiated by Moroccan King Mohammed VI and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.

In December 2021, Morocco and Nigeria signed an agreement to fund a feasibility study after the project was approved by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).